tractabilis

Forms

tractābilis (neuter tractābile, comparative tractābilior, adverb tractābiliter); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1] Comparative tractābilior.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is from Latin tractō (“to handle”) + -bilis.^[2][1] De Vaan explains tractō as derived from tractus, the past participle of trahō (“to draw, drag”), which he traces to Proto-Italic *traχe/o-.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,^[4] whose translation of Plato's Timaeus says that whatever is born must be bodily, visible and tangible: corporeum et aspectabile idemque tractabile.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense is able to be handled, tangible.^[2] Of materials and tools it is easy to handle or work, as Vitruvius' timber suited to indoor work and Pliny the Elder's tufa,^[2][5] and of conditions or problems easy to deal with, as Virgil's sky that cannot yet be dealt with.^[2] Of persons it means tractable, amenable, pliant.^[2][5] In Church Latin it is manageable or pliant.^[6] English tractable, first of persons and animals, dates from the early 15th century.^[7]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero, of what can be touched.^[2][4]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius, of timber easy to work.^[2][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil, of an unmanageable sky.^[2][4]
• early 15th century – English tractable.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. That can be handled, tangible.^[2][5]
2. Easy to handle or work, manageable; of conditions, easy to deal with.^[2][5][1]
3. Of persons: tractable, amenable, pliant.^[2][5][1][6]

Word family

• intractābilis
• tractābilitās

Related words

• tractō
• trahō
• English tractable

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com